Form for drying hosiery and the like



May 17, 1932.

E. .LBERGER FORM FOR DRYING HOSIERY AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 1'7, 1930lNVENTOR.- Emil Jfie ryer,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 17, 1932 UNE'IED STATES PATET Free EMIL J. BERG-ER, orHATFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DEXD LE HOSIERY MILLS, OF LANSDALE,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FORM FOR DRYING HOSIERY ANI)THE LIKE Application filed October 17, 1930. SerialNo. 489,369.

This invention relates toforms for drying knitted articles such ashosiery and the like. More especially, my invention has reference to adrying form of the type shown and described in a copending application,Serial No. 291,368, filed by present applicant jointly with Howard W.Matthews and Walter M. Schindler on July 9, 1928; said applicationhaving matured into Patent No. 1,789,666, dated January 20, 1931.

In the drying form of the patent supra, a weight member is slidable onan upright profile frame over which the stocking is drawn, and clampmeans are provided for securing said weight member to the stocking formaintenance of the latter under lengthwise tensioning during the dryingperiodwhich is to follow. With the weight member freely suspended, thestocking is apt to be stretched beyond the extent desired as itundergoes drying; and difficulty is therefore experienced in securinguniformity of finish in stockings of the same size successively dried onthe form.

My invention has for its object to obviate the drawback to whichattention has ust been directed, through provision, in connection withdrying forms of the kind specifically referred to, of means whereby,immediately the stocking has been drawn taut on the form by the weight,the latter is automatically locked against subsequent gravitation so asto thereafter maintain the stocking under uniform tension until dry.

In the attached drawings, Fig. I is a fragmentary view partly in sideelevation and partly in section, of a stocking drying form convenientlyembodying my present invention.

Fig. II is a partial edge elevation of the form viewed as indicated bythe arrows IIII in Fig. I; and,

Fig. III is a cross-sectional view of the form taken as indicated by thearrows III-III in Fig. I.

As in the patent above referred to, the form herein shown comprises anopen upright frame 10 which is profiled to predetermine a definite shapefor the stocking S which 0 is mounted over it to be dried. Slidably engaged in thelower portion of the frame'lO is; a weight member 11, which,as shown in Fig. III, is of substantially the. same thick ness as theform proper. This weight member 11 carries a pair of spring-urged jaws12 which are pivoted to swing on horizontal hinge axes 13 at oppositesides of said weight member. In this instance, the aws 12 have securedto them at their upper endsby means ofscrewbolts 14 supplemental pads 15that i serve to clamp the lapping portion of the stocking fabric againstthe side faces of the weight member 11. Pivoted at 16 to a lugprojection 17 on the weight member is an actuating element 18 withround-ended extremities 19, adapted tocoact with sloping cam surfaces 20on the jaws 12, thereby to bring the pads 15 into clamping relation withthe weight member 11 in a manner ob.- vious from'Fig. III. For thepurposes of automatic operation in a drying machine, the actuatingelement 18 may be provided wit upwardly and downwardly extending tappetarms 21, 22 for cooperation withsuitable cams along the path of the formin the drying machine.

Ordinarily, in mounting hosiery on a form such as just described, theweight member 11 is attached to the stockings and left freely suspendedduring the ensuing drying I period to the end that said stocking isliable to be stretched beyond the desired extent as the drying proceeds.As previously stated, the object of my invention is to preclude such acontingency. With this end in View, I make provisions as follows:Pivoted at 23 within a slot 24 in the central plane of the weight member11 is a detent 25 whereof the lower pawl end 26 is adapted forselectively engaging rack teeth 27 on the inside of the vertical 10a ofthe frame 10. As shown, the detent 25 is formed atits upper end with ahorizontal finger 28 which extends through a slot 29 in the upright 10aof the frame 10 I and which terminates in a rounded cam end 30. Due tothe influence of a leaf spring 31 upon the detent 25, the rounded end 30of the finger 28 is normally projected beyond the outer edge of the formvertical 10a, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. I, while the pawl'end 26of said detent is retracted from engagerelease of the weight member, toprevent furment with the rack teeth 26.

In the use of the form, the stocking S is drawn over the frame 10 andthe weight member 11 attached through closure of the jaws 12 resultant.upon manipulation of the actuating element 18. Immediately upon releaseof the weight member 11, the rounded end 30 of the finger 28 isdepressed by sud den straightening and tensioning of the stockingfabric, and the detent 25 swung clockwise on the pivot 23 in oppositionto the spring 81 with attendant thrust of its pawl end'26 intoengagement with one of the rack teeth 27 of the series on theupright-10a of said frame. As a consequence of such interengagementbetween the detent 25 and the rack teeth 27, the weight member 11 isobviously locked against further gravitation so that the stocking S ismaintained under uniform tension during the drying period which is tofollow.

While I have specifically described my invention in connection withaform for drying hosiery, it is obvious that-similar provisions may. bemade in connection with forms for dryingother knitted articles.Moreover, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement herein disclosed. since my invention issusceptible to all modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a form for drying hosiery and the like, a profile frame embodyingrack teeth and over which the knitted article is drawn; a weight memberslidable on the frame and adapted to tension the knitted articlelengthwise; and a detent automatically actuated as the knitted article,is pulled taut on the form by the weight member, to lock with one ofthe rack teeth on the profile frame, thereby to prevent subsequentgravitation of said weight member.

2. In a form for drying hosiery and the like, a profile frame embodyingrack teeth and over which the knitted article is drawn; a weight memberslidable on the form and adapted to tension the article lengthwise; anda detent having pivotal support on the weight member for capacity toselectively engage the rack teeth aforesaid and formed with a fingerthat normally projects beyond the profile frame so as to beautomatically ac tuated as the article is pulled taut on the form by theweight member, with attendant lockther gravitation of said weightmember.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Lansdale,Pennsylvania, this 14th day of October, 1930.

EMIL J. BERGER.

i'ng of the latter against subsequent gravitation. 7

3. A form for drying knitted articles of -wearing'apparel comprising anopen frame

